Mayor Frank Fahy
I retired as Chief Fire Officer for Skibbereen Fire Brigade in 2009 having served the community for forty-six years. I now wish to continue to serve the community in a different capacity. I have lived in Skibbereen all my life, as have four generations of my family. I am married to Liz and have two grown up children in their thirties and two children aged twelve and fourteen, so I understand the needs of two of our most important age groups. I will work hard to ensure their future and that of their peers and all of the town’s people.
I am the founder / chairperson of RIPPLE, an organisation set up to enhance and carefully develop the Ilen River to it’s full potential as our town’s greatest natural amenity both from the tourism aspect and employment through development of business in the town from the water traffic between Baltimore and the South West coast generally.
In recent months.I also called a public meeting to discuss the concern of the people of West Cork in relation to the curtailment of the Ambulance Service in Skibbereen and Castletownbere which will mean very grave problems for all of the citizens of the area who may become ill or are injured in an accident during the hours between 8pm and 8am. when there will be no ambulance available in Skibbereen and Castletownbere and they will have to wait for an Ambulance from Bantry or Clonakilty. Even if the are available, it will take at least thirty minutes to reach Skibbereen area and over an hour to reach Castletownbere. I have no doubt after all my years dealing with the Emergency Services that this misguided policy will cause deaths in West Cork. I will fight the changes for as long as is necessary to stop or change the plan.
Skibbereen is a great business town but it has been neglected in many ways over the years. Now that the people of the town have elected me, my colleague Labour Councillor Brendan Leahy and I will press for a new and progressive beginning to the work of the Council to the benefit of this and future generations.
I look forward to serving all of the people of Skibbereen on the Town Council and will try to help develop the town generally in the same manner as I have with the Fire Service where I played the main role in securing for the town, a new Fire Station and Fire Tender valued in excess of one million Euro.
